Southern California -- this just in

Naked MMA fighter Jason 'Mayhem' Miller trashed church, police say

August 14, 2012 | 11:31
am

When a pastor walked into Mission Viejo's Mission Hills Church on Monday morning, the first floor was a mess.

Broken pictures and books were strewn across the floor, said Orange County sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino. Walls had been spray-painted. A fire extinguisher had been set off, and residue blanketed the church.

Believing the church had been burglarized, the pastor called authorities. Responding deputies followed a trail of residue from the fire extinguisher up to the second floor, Amormino said, where they found a naked man asleep on a couch.

"When they asked him his name, he kept saying, 'Mayhem, Mayhem,'" Amormino said. "They didn't know who he was — they thought he was being uncooperative."

It turns out the suspect was mixed martial arts fighter and reality TV show host Jason "Mayhem" Miller, Amormino said.

The 31-year-old was arrested and taken to the hospital ward at the Orange County Jail, where he was evaluated and "deemed OK for booking," Amormino said. He was booked on suspicion of burglary but could face additional vandalism charges, Amormino added.

Miller was released from Orange County Jail early Tuesday after posting $20,000 bail, jail records show.

Deputies believe Miller entered the building by pulling off boards that covered a window broken Saturday night, Amormino said. Investigators are looking into whether Miller was responsible for breaking the window Saturday, an incident they believe was another burglary attempt.

Miller's connection, if any, to the church was unknown, Amormino said.

The middleweight has fought for several organizations, including UFC and San Jose-based Strikeforce, but had said he would retire if he was defeated by C.B. Dollaway in a May 27 UFC match. After losing by decision in a lackluster match, UFC president Dana White said Miller was "done" with the organization.

Miller also worked as a coach on UFC’s "The Ultimate Fighter" on Spike TV and hosted three seasons of MTV's "Bully Beatdown," where bullies are challenged to fight MMA fighters to win $10,000.

According to his website, Miller is "known for his flashy entrances, exciting fighting style, and magnetic personality, both in and out of the ring."